Home-built hero ‘P7’ steals Desert Race spotlight

Driving a buggy he built with his own hands, the Makaleng native battled punctures, mechanical breakdowns, fuel shortages and Botswana’s unforgiving terrain to complete the gruelling three-day Sarona 1000 Desert Race, proving that passion can keep pace with machines built on far bigger budgets.

Maruapula competed in the Class P category during the Sarona 1000 Desert Race, which doubled as rounds two and three of the Botswana Off-Road Racing Championship (BORRC). He lined up against 32 entries, many of them professionally engineered race cars from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.